Turn in socket



Aug. 26, 1958 Filed July 7, 1955 G. S. FARISON TURN IN SOCKET 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. GLENN F4msa- Aug. 26, 1958 G. s. FARISON TURN IN' SOCKET 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 7, 1955 TURN IN SOCKET Gienn S. Farison, Birmingham, Micln, assignor to Essex Wire Corporation Application July 7, 1955, Serial No. 520,440

3 Claims. (Cl. 339--127) This invention relates to a socket containing electrical connecting means and in particular to a socket of the turn in type. The principal object of the invention is to provide a new and improved socket of this type.

In the drawings: a

Fig. l is a top view of the socket.

Fig. 2 is a top view of a mounted socket.

Fig. 3 is a cross section taken in the direction indicated by the lines 33.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of an insert tube for the socket illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a top view of the socket spring and mounting panel.

Fig. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the socket components.

The operation of the device in general involves the insertion of a socket, indicated generally at 10, into the opening 41 of the panel 38 so that the socket is retained in said panel. The retention is accomplished by the action of the spring 32. The socket construction is such that it can be inserted in the mounting panel in one position only, and after insertion can be moved in one direction only for a limited distance and reversed to entering position. The socket, therefore, provides a means of relating with respect to a panel a bulb containing a plurality of filaments.

The socket is assembled by sliding the spring 32 on the socket tube 22 until the spring abut against the raised ridges 25 and 26. The tube 22 is inserted in the socket base 21 and the lugs 28 and 29 are crimped over to lock in the assembly. The lugs 28 and 29 extend through oppositely disposed notches 11a of hole 11 in the end wall 50 of the base 21. It will be noted that the spring 32 is thus axially restrained by the tube ridges 25 and 26 and the collar 12 of the socket base 21. The leads 48 and 49 with supporting insulated disc 46 are then threaded through the socket tube 22 and the hole 11 at the bottom of the socket base 21.

The J-slots 23 and 24 and detents 27 and 30 of the socket tube 22 provide for the proper alignment of parts during assembly. The detent 30 fits keyway 47 (Fig. 6) in the insulated disc 46 thereby relating the hot leads 48 and 49 (power source not illustrated) to the socket tube. The detent 27 fits keyway 37 in thespring 32 thereby relating the socket tube to the spring. Finally, the J-slots 23 and 24 are of different depth to accommodate the bayonets of bulb 42. Thus the bulb 42 is keyed through the socket to the appropriate harness leads. It remains to mount the socket in the panel 37 in a keying manner which is the function of the spring 32.

In general, spring 32 obtains spring action by selective distortion of the spring tabs 33, 34, 35, and 36. The keying of the socket to the panel is accomplished in part by the use of lug openings 39 and 40 of dissimilar width. The lug opening 39 is wider than opening 40 and corresponds to the Width of spring tab 36. Tab opening 40 corresponds to the width of tab 34. As a result, the socket will enter the panel only if the tab 36 is positioned States Patent ice 2 in the tab opening 39 and tab 34 is positioned in the tab opening 40.

The insertion of the socket is accomplished after location of spring tab 36 in panel tab opening 39 and tab 34' in opening 40 by turning the socket in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2. During the execution of this turn, the tabs 34 and 36 are guided in a hereinafter described manner up onto the exit side of the panel Whereas the tabs 33 and 35 remain on the entrance side of the panel. The bending of the tabs 34 and 36 in' an opposite axial direction from tabs 33 and 34 develops restorative force in the spring 32 tending to bind the spring to the panel. The counterclockwise movement of the socket continues until tabs 33 and 35 are positioned opposite the panel tab openings 40 and 39. When so positioned, the tension in the spring 32 causes the tabs 33 and 35 to spring into the tab openings 40 and 39 in an indexing manner. Removal of the socket is accomplished by reversing the procedure or, moving the socket clockwise to re-locate the tabs 34 and 36 in panel openings 40 and 39.

The spring tabs are further characterized by extensions with leading and trailing edges modified to achieve the desired results, i. e., the socket should move a quarter turn in one direction only and reverse. In addition, the edges are the means by which the spring 32 supports the socket. The tab edges, therefore, serve five functions.

(1) The edges must prevent clockwise movement of the socket on insertion.

(2) The edges must guide the tabs 34 and 36 so that the tabs ride up on the exit side of the panel to create tension to the spring.

(3) The edges must prevent further counterclockwise movement of the socket after indexing.

(4) The edges must guide the tabs 33 and 35 out of tab openings 40 and 39, i. e., the indexed position, to permit the reversing of the socket for Withdrawal.

(5) The edges must provide the actual panel holding means.

The structure in operation of the tab edges can be best understood by reference to Figs. 2 and 5. In these views, it can be seen that tab edges are in some instances bent away from the plane of the tab as illustrated by 34a. In other instances, a square edge is used as illustrated by 34b.

With respect to function 1 above, clockwise movement of the socket on socket insertion is prevented by the abutting of square edge 34b against tab opening edge 40b.

With respect to function 2 above, the tab edges 36a and 34a are bent upward and ride up on edges 39a and 40a to spring the tabs 36 and 34 to the exit side of the panel.

With respect to function 3 above, square edges 33b and 35b abut 39a and 49a when in indexed position barring further counterclockwise movement. I M

With respect to function 4 above, tab edges 33a and 35a are bent downwardly and on clockwise (as in withdrawal) movement of the socket ride downwardly'on the edges 4% and 39b to spring the tabs 33 and 35 to the entrance side of the panel.

With respect to function 5 above, when tabs 33 and 35 are indexed into tab openings 46 and 39 the downwardly bent tab edges 33a and 35a bear tangentially against opening edges 3% and 4-61) with the result that spring 32 does not wholly enter the plane of panel 38 with the result that the spring 32 is in restraint. The socket is, therefore, held by the tabs 34 and 36 on the exit side and tab edges 33a and 35a on the entrance side.

Dimensionally, the tabs 33 and 34 are of the same width and the tabs 35 and 36 are of the same width. Thus, the tabs which index into the same tab openings have similar widths. Referring back to the socket base 21 construction, the purpose of openings 15 and 16 in the collar 14 will now be apparent. The openings provide space for the downwardly bent tab edges 33a and 35a when the socket is unmounted. The socket base shoulders 17, 18, 19, and 20 are locating members holding the spring in position when subjected to the torsional force of insertion, thus complementing the keyed connection between detent 27 of insert tube 22 and keyway 37 of spring 32. It is thus seen that the socket can be mounted in one position only thereby providing means of consistently relating a bulb containing a plurality of filaments to the mounting panel or, light reflector.

In the claims:

1. A turn in socket for mounting in a panel aperture having a circular portion and two opposite slot portions of different widths and extending radially outward from said circular portion, consisting of: a substantially flat octagonally shaped spring member with tour rectangularly shaped integral tabs extending radially from four nonadjacent sides of said spring member, two adjacent tabs corresponding dimensionally to the narrower of said mounting aperture slot portions, the two remaining adjacent tabs corresponding dimensionally to the wider of said mounting aperture slot portions, the two opposite ends of one wide tab being bent upwardly, one corresponding end of the opposite tab also being bent upwardly, one corresponding end of each of the remaining tabs being bent downwardly, said spring member having a circular opening therein with a radial slot; :1 socket base from the face of which extends upwardly bosses supporting the two spring member tabs with upwardly bent edges thereby spacing the downwardly bent tab edges from the socket base face, shoulders extending upwardly from said socket base face above the plane of said bosses to project into and fit the circular portion of the mounting aperture, said shoulders also engaging the sides of said spring member whereby said spring member is constrained to rotate with the socket base, a circular opening to said socket base face registering with the circular opening in said spring member when the spring member is positioned on said socket base between said shoulders; a bulb base receiving tube passing through said registering holes and securing the spring member to the socket base by means of ridges at one end of the tube bearing against the spring member and by lugs bent over at the other tube end to engage the socket base, said tube having a detent keyed to the slot in the spring member circular opening; an insulator disc member keyed in said tube providing securement for electrical conducting means in contact with said bulb base; whereby two opposed tabs may be inserted in said mounting aperture slot portions and upon rotation of the socket are guided by said downwardly bent tab edges to the exit side of said panel to secure said socket to said panel by the force of opposed spring tabs on both sides of the panel, the remaining pair of tabs remaining on the entrance side of said panel and seating in said aperture slot portions to yieldably hold said socket against rotation relative to said panel, the unbent edges of the last said ment of the spring member and attached socket beyond the seating position, the downwardly bent edges of said remaining tabs permitting said seated tabs to be guided out of said aperture slot portions for counter-rotation and removal of the socket, the size of said tabs and the direction in which the tab edges are bent permitting the socket to be inserted into the panel in only one position from which it can be rotated, said rotation being possible in only one direction such that said bulb base can be located in only one position relative to said panel.

2. A turn in socket for mounting in a panel aperture having a circular portion and two opposite slot portions of different widths extending radially outward from said circular portion, consisting of: a substantially fiat octagonally shaped spring member with four rectangularly shaped integral tabs extending radially from four nonadjacent sides of said spring member, two adjacent tabs corresponding dimensionally to the narrower of said mounting aperture slot portions, the two remaining adjacent tabs corresponding dimensionally to the wider of said mounting aperture slot portions, the two opposite ends of one wide tab being bent upwardly, one corresponding end of the opposite tab also being bent upwardly, one corresponding end of each of the remaining tabs being bent downwardly, a socket base from the face of which extends upwardly bosses supporting the two spring member tabs with upwardly bent edges thereby spacing the downwardly bent tab edges from the socket base face, shoulders extending upwardly from said socket base face above the plane of said bosses to project into and fit the circular portion of the mounting aperture, said shoulders also engaging the sides of said spring member whereby said spring member is constrained to rotate with the socket base, and means securing said socket base to said spring member.

3. In a removable mounting construction for securing a lamp socket base to a supporting panel having an aperture therein, including a circular portion and first and second opposite slot portions extending radially outward from said circular portion; a substantially fiat spring member with four rectangularly shaped integral tabs extending radially from a central portion thereof; two adjacent tabs corresponding dimensionally to the first of said mounting aperture slot portions; the two remaining adjacent tabs corresponding dimensionally to the second of said mounting aperture slot portions; the two opposite ends of one tab being bent upwardly; one corresponding end of the opposite tab also being bent upwardly; one corresponding end of each of the remaining tabs being bent downwardly; and means securing said lamp socket base to the central portion of said spring member.

References Cited in the file of this patent 

